Automatic lighter for gas ranges



JUL 15, 1935- H.,W. o'oown I 1,988,394

AUTOMATIC LIGHTER FOR GAS RANGES- Filed June 30, 1930 3 Sheet's-S heet 1 IN.VENTOR.

Jan. 15, 1935. H w. O'DOWD. 1,983,394

AUTOMATIC LIGHTER FOR GAS RANGES Filed June 30. 19:50 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W. 0 M

Jan. 15, 1935. I H. w. o'nowo 1,938,394

AUTOMATIC LIGHTER FOR GAS RANGES Filed June 30, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ilz 9.

INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 15, 1935 PATENT- OFFICE Lasasu 7 AUTOMATIC ucn'rnn son. GAS moss Henry W. ODowd, Jersey City,

N. 1.. assignor to Standard Gas Equipment Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Application June 30, 1930, Serial No. 464,754 7 Claims. (Cl. 158115) This invention relates to automatic lighters for gas ranges and refers particularly to the application of such lighters to ranges having a solid or closed cooking top.

In order to facilitate ignition of gas at the burners, many of the commercial gas ranges have been equipped with pilot lights of the flash type which, by manual depression of a button,.pro- Ject flame Jets to the respective. burners. It sometimes happens, however, that when the gas supply is turned on, the burner does not become lighted, and in other cases. a gas cock may be accidentally opened. When the burners are concealed below a closed cooking top,-such conditions are frequently unnoticed and the gas will therefore escape unburned, endangering life and property. Automatic lighters have been proposed for and successfully used in open top ranges, as for example those disclosed in my application filed July 6, 1929, Serial No. 376,476, which has resulted in Patent No. 1,928,500, issued September 20, 1933, but in adapting such lighters to closedtop ranges without altering the range construction, difliculties are encountered. One reason for this is that, in some closed-top ranges, there are employed burner plates or aeration plates between the burners and the closed top, with the result that the space is limited.

The present invention overcomes the objectionable features of the prior art, and provides a simple equipment of low cost which may readily be applied to a closed-top gas range, and whereby escaping gas will be immediately lighted at the burners. This not only promotes safety, but it facilitates the use of the range, rendering the invention doubly valuable.

In carrying out the invention, a constantly burning pilot light is provided adjacent to or between the top burners and is supplied with gas independently of said burners. Gas-conducting tubes are arranged to extend from the proximity of the pilot light to the respective burners, so that escaping gas from any one of the burners will enter one of said tubes and will flow to the pilot flame where it will be ignited, carrying the flame back to the burner from which the gas escaped. Preferably, the gas-conducting tubes are integrally formed with a combustion cage which sets overthe pilot light, and these tubes and the cage are supported by the burner plate. In one practical embodiment, spaced lugs on the bottom of the combustion case extend downwardly through an opening in the burner plate to engage and center the pilot light, while the cage proper and the tubes are secured to the upper side of the plate and supported independently of the bumers.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for automatically lighting the oven burner which is located below the top burners. For this purpose, an additional lighting tube is carried from the pilot light or combustion cage horizontally to a point adjacent one edge of the range, and thence downwardly within the oven wall to an extension of the oven burner.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be clear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein the invention has been shown merely by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through a gas range equipped with an automatic lighter in accordance with the invention, the section being taken approximately on line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the range, with parts thereof broken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of the automatic lighter and showing more clearly the support of said lighter and the pilot light;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through the upper part of the range and taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the complete range and showing more clearly the relationship between the automatic lighter and the oven burners, the view being taken approximately on line 66 of Fig. "I;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the range as shown in Fig. 6, but with parts thereof broken away;

view- Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention; and i Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 10-10 of, Fig. 9.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, it will be seen that the range therein illustrated comprises a closed or solid cooking top 10 arranged in spaced relation above the hollow top wall 11 of an oven 12 which is substantially rectangular and supported in the usual way upon legs 13. Arranged between the cooking top 10 and the upper wall 11 of the oven is an apertured burner plate 14 (also known in the art as an aeration plate), having its marginal edges turned upwardLv into flanges 15 for securement to the cooking top 10, said plate defining an upper heat generating chamber 16 and a lower secondary air chamber 17. At the rear of the range, the heat generating chamber 16 communicates with a flue 18 through which the products of combustion escape and to which the interior of the top wall 11 of the oven is also connected by a duct 19.

A plurality of gas heating burners is suitably supported within the secondary air chamber 1'? and below the apertured burner plate 14, the illustrated embodiment having two large or main heating burners 20 and 21 arranged in side by side relation adjacent the front of the range, and a small simmering burner 22 disposed between said main burners but further back. The burners 20, 21, and 22 may be of any ordinary or preferred form and are each provided with series of flame ports 23 through which the gas mixture issues and by which the flames are directed upwardly.

The gas is supplied to the burners through mixing tubes 24 and 25 which extend forwardly through the open front of the secondary air chamber 1'! for connection by nozzles 27 to a gas manifold 26, under the control of manually operated cocks 28. Primary air to support combustion is admitted to the mixing tubes 24 and 25 in the usual way, while secondary air is drawn from the chamber 17 and entrained with the gas issuing from the flame ports 23.

The burner plate 14 is provided with groups of apertures 29 directly above and slightly larger than the flame ports 23 of the respective burners. and through these apertures the flames of the burners are adapted to extend upwardly into the heat generating chamber 16 so as to apply heat to the lower side of the closed top 10 of the range.

The construction of the range thus far described is old and well known in the art and requires no further detailed description, although if desired reference may be had to my prior Patent No. 1,649,416..

Coming now to the present invention, the range is equipped with an automatic lighting unit 31 by means of which the burners will be automatically lighted when gas is supplied to them by the opening of one or more of the supply cocks 28. This lighter unit comprises a plurality of angularly related open-ended tubular arms or conductors 32, 33 and 34 which are connected together adjacent their meeting ends by a substantially cylindrical casing 35, the interior of which constitutes a gas chamber 36 with which all of said tubular arms communicate. The casing is disposed between and slightly forward of the main burners 20 and 21, and the tubular arms are made to'extend to all the burners 20, 21 and 22, the arm 34 (which extends to the simmering burner 22) being longer than the other two as best shown in Fig. 2. This lighter unit 31 is arranged within the heat generating chamber 16 and is supported by the apertured burner plate 14 independently of the burners, being secured in place by means which will-later be explained. The outer ends of the three tubular arms are turned downwardly, as indicated at 37, (Figs. 1 and 5), for communication with one of the burner plate apertures 29 for the corresponding burner, so that gas issuing from the burners will enter the tubular arms and be conducted thereby to the chamber 36.

The upper end of the casing 35 is open, and

its side wall is formed with a plurality of downwardly extending notches 38 for a purpose hereinafter mentioned, while the bottom wall 39 of said casing is formed with a central opening 40 and three or more radially spaced depending lugs 41 which extend downwardly through a large aperture 42 in the burner plate 14. The lugs 41 are formed at their lower ends with shoulders 43 to receive a centrally located cup-like skirt 44 of a pilot light, the, tip 45 of which is arranged within the skirt44 and below the opening 40 so that the flame from said tip can extend upwardly through said opening and into the gas chamber 36.

The pilot light is mounted upon the inner end of a small gas tube 46 which is also connected to the manifold 26 for supplying gas constantly to the pilot light independently of the heating burners, and'primary air is supplied to the pilot through apertures 47 in the bottom of the shield or skirt 44, while secondary air (if needed) is drawn in through the open spaces between the lugs 41 above the top edge of said skirt. Thus it will be seen that the base of the pilot light flame immediately above the tip 45 will be amply protected from draughts and so will be safe against accidental extinguishment. I

As previously stated, the lighter unit 31 is supported by the aeration plate 14 independently of the burners, and it is detachably held in proper position by fastening screws 50' which pass through apertured base lugs 51,52, and 53 best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. These base lugs rest upon the aeration plate and are preferably cast integral with the tubular, arms of the unit 31. Clamped against the lower side of the plate 14 and below the lugs 51 and 52, there is a horizontal flange 54 of a pilot light supporting bracket 55, said flange having screw threaded apertures in line with the holes in the lugs 51 and 52 for receiving the corresponding fastening screws 50. The lower end of the bracket 55 is formed with a forwardly extending bifurcated portion 56 which straddles the end of the tube 46 and supports the pilot light, maintaining .it in proper relation to the casing 35.

When the parts are assembled as above described, and with the pilot light burning constantly, the heating burners will be automatically lighted whenever gas is supplied to them. Thus, if one of the cooks 28 is turned to its on" position, gas will flow from the manifold 26 to the corresponding burner 20, 21, or 22 as the case may be, and will issue through the ports 23 of said burner.

One of said ports 23, however, will direct a portion of the escaping gas into the .end of the overlying tubular arm 32, 33, or 34 of the lighter unit, and the gas thus collected will be conducted through said tubular arm to the gas chamber 36. As the gas flows into the chamber 36, it comes in contact with the flame of the pilot light and becomes ignited, and the flame is carried back through the gas-tilled tube to the burner, where it ignites the gas issuing from the ports 23. As the gas becomes ignited in the chamber 36, the combustion pressure is relieved through the notches 38 as well as through the open top of the casing 35, so that there is no violent explosion and no back draught strong enough to extinguish the pilot light flame. Incidentally, said notches 38 also facilitate the escape of products of combustion from the pilot light and from the tubular arms of the lighter unit.

While the lighter unit 31 has been illustrated and described as formed with three tubular arms to serve three burners, the invention is not limited in this respect. Thus in some instancesthe unit might have onlyone tubular arm for lighting a single burner, and in other cases it may have any other number, depending upon the construction of the range to which it is applied.

As best shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the oven 12 is provided with upper and lower heating burners and 61 of any ordinary or preferred form, and means are also provided for automatically lighting said oven burners from the same pilot light. For this purpose, the casing 35 is formed at one side with an apertured boss 62 for the reception of one end of a pipe 63 which extends horizontally from the casing to a point adjacent one of the side walls of the oven and at which point a downward extension 84 of said pipe extends within the hollow oven wall.

Intermediate its ends, the extension 64 has a short offset branch 65 having an open end which terminates above a flame port on a lighting extension 66 cast integral with the upper bumer 60. In this way, when gas is supplied to the burner so through the mixing tube or, some of the gas will flow through the lighting extension 66 and into the branch 65 from which it will be conducted through the pipe 63 to the gas chamber 36, where it will become ignited in the same way as has previously been explained with reference to the top burners. The gas flame will then be carried back through the pipe 63, extension 64 and branch 65 to the burner 60 so as to ignite the gas issuing from all of the flame ports in said burner.

Similarly the lower oven burner 61 is provided with a lighter extension 68 and a mixing tube 69, and the lower end of the vertical pipe 64 is arranged directly above a small port in the end of the lighter extension 68 so as to collect gas issuing therefrom and conduct it up to the gas chamber 36, after which the flame will be carried back to the lower oven burner 61.

The arrangement of the oven burners and of the gas collecting pipes cooperating therewith can of course be varied for different types of ranges and for different oven constructions, but the functions of the automatic lighting means will remain the same. Thus, for example, in the illustrated embodiment the two burners 60 and 61 are arranged within a single oven, but in other types of ranges having two separate ovens, one for baking and one for broiling, the manifold for supplying gas to the mixing tubes 67 and 69 will, of course, be modified to suit the diiferent construction, and similarly the pipe extension 64 and its branch 65 will also be rearranged in accordance with the relative locations of the oven burners.

In Figs. 9 and 10, a modifled form of the invention is shown, wherein the range is provided with four symmetrically disposed top burners 70, 71, 72, and 73 of the star type and arranged as usual below theaeration plate 14. In this form of the invention, the pilot light 74 is arranged substan- 60 tially midway between the respective burners, and

the lighting unit 75 comprises a substantially central casing 76 arranged above the pilot light and four radially disposed tubular arms 77, 78, 79, and 80. The inner ends of said tubular arms open into the interior of the casing 76, while their outer ends are turned downwardly for communication through appropriate openings in the aeration plate 14 to certain of the flame ports 81 of the burners. Hence, the tubular arms 77 to 80 inclusive will be capable of collecting gas from the respective burners and conducting it to the interior of the casing 76, where it will become ignited by contact with the flame of the pilot light 71, and the resultant flame will be carried back through the gas-filled tubes to ignite the gas issuing from the other flame ports of the corresponding bumers. In this form of the invention, too, the lighter unit is supported upon the aeration plate independently of the heating burners and it may be held detachably in position by fastening screws 82 similarto the screws 50 previously described.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that an improved automatic lighting provided for gas ranges with closed cooking tops, the construction of such lighting means being extremely simple and readily capable of application in the limited space available in ranges of the type mentioned. 80 long as the pilot light is burning, the heating burners of the range will be quickly and automatically lighted when gas is supplied to them through the manually controlled cocks, and even in the event that one of the heating bumers should for any reason become accidentally extinguished it will immediately be relighted. Thus, the use of the range is greatly facilitated, and at the same time there is no danger from unburned gas collecting in the heat generating chamber above the aeration plate.

The invention is susceptible of numerous modifications's in the details of construction and in the arrangement of the parts, and the right is therefore reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: v

1. In or for 'a gas range having a cooking top, an apertured burner plate spaced below the same and defining a heat generating chamber, and a heating burner disposed adjacent the apertured portion of the burner plate, automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot light disposed below the burner plate and spaced from the heating burner and supplied with gas independently thereof, and said burner plate having an opening above the pilot light, a combustion cage arranged above the pilot light and within the heat generating chamber and provided with spaced depending lugs extending through the opening in the burner plate to engage portions of the pilot light, a tubular gas conductor extending from said combustion cage to the apertured portion of the burner plate adjacent the burner, the outer end of said tube having a downwardly directed portion adapted for disposition over the edge portion of the burner, and the burner having a port for directing gas upwardly into the tube, and means for detachably securing the combustion cage and the tube to the burner plate independently of the heating burners and of the cooking top.

2. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flame conducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular members angularly disposed with reference to each other and having their inner ends secured together in communication with a combustion cage, said cage being formed integral with the tubular members and having spaced locating lugs for engaging portions of a pilot light and being open at the top, and the outer ends of the tubular members being directed downwardly to receive upwardly issuing gas from the burners of the range.

3. In or for a gas range having a cooking top, an apertured burner plate spaced below the same, and a plurality of heating burners below the apertured portions of said burner plate, automatic lighting means comprising a gas collecting and flame conducting unit supported on top of the burner plate, said unit having a commeanshasbeen opening in the burner plate, a constantly burning pilot light disposed below the combustion cage and supplied with gas independently of the heating burners, said pilot light having an upwardly extending annular skirt to partly-surround the pilot flame and to engage the lower portions 01' the lugs 01 the combustion cage, and means secured to the lower side of the burner plate for detachably supporting the pilot light.

4. In a gas range having an oven with a burner therein and a series of top burners above the oven,

automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot light located above the oven and between the top burners, lighting tubes extending from the pilot light to the respective top burners, and an additional lighting tube extending from the pilot light to the oven burner, said tube comprising an upper horizontal portion leading to .one side of the range and a vertical depending portion arranged along the side of the oven and having its lower end facing inward adjacent a gas directing port formed in the burner.

5. Ina gas range having an oven formed with a hollow heat-insulating wall, a gas heating burner within the oven, automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot light supplied with gas independently of the oven burner and located above the oven, and a gas collecting and flame conducting tube extending downwardly from the pilot light and within the-hollow oven wall, said wall having an openlngtoprovide com-- munication between the lower endot said tube and the oven-burnen a a i 6. In or (or a gas range. having a cooking top, an apertured burner plate spaced below the same and defining a heat generating chamber, a heating burner disposed below the apertured portion the burner plate, automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot light arranged below an aperture in the burner plate, a combustion cage above said lighter opening, and a gas conducting tube open at its ends only arranged above and supported by the burner plate, said tube extending from the proximity of the pilot light to the heating burner and arranged to conduct flame from the pilot light and deflect it downwardly to the burner. v

'7. In or for a gas range having a cooking top, an apertured burner plate spaced below the same and defining a heat'generating chamber, and a heating burner disposed adjacent the apertured portion of the burner plate, automatic lighting means comprising a' constantly burning pilot light supported below a lighter opening in the burner plate, a combustion cage above said lighter opening, and a gas conducting tube open at its ends only and extending from said combustion cage to the heating burner and arranged above said plate to conduct flame from the pilot light and deflect tube being integrally formed and being secured 'to and supported by the burner plate.

HENRY W. ODOWD. 

